


Confidential Correspondence

by JuweWright, Nantai



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bigotry & Prejudice, Depends on a certain pink-clad person, Epistolary, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, canon compliant up to PoA
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2019-12-18 12:05:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 17,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18249482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuweWright/pseuds/JuweWright, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nantai/pseuds/Nantai
Summary: After the events of end of the 1993/94 school year Severus Snape receives order from Dumbledore to continue supplying Remus Lupin with the Wolfsbane potion. But instead of simply answering with his address enclosed Remus writes back quite elaborately and it would certainly be rather rude not to answer, would it not?





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to our new (and first collaborative) story! Juwe and I met a few weeks ago and the idea for this story was born. We are quite a few chapters ahead and probably will keep that pace up. Updates will be posted every Monday and Thursday.  
> Comments and kudos make our days.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer (for the new EU laws): We don't own a thing, JK Rowling owns everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter is quite short, but I assure you: the length will increase with every new chapter!

July 1st 1994

 

Lupin,

 

I won’t apologise for my actions in the last few weeks. I did and still do deem them as a necessary precaution. As the last full moon did show us you would forget your potion eventually.

However, the Headmaster insists I continue to provide you with the Wolfsbane potion. I will send you the needed amount every morning before the full moon.

Do not waste my time and actually take it.

Also you better stay in the country so the potion doesn’t expire while the owl tries to find you. It would actually be best if you informed me of your current address and any changes to it.

 

S. Snape

* * *

  
July 15th 1994

 

Lupin,

 

I would very much appreciate an answer to the point about your current address before the next full moon happens.

 

S. Snape


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A second chapter for you guys, because the first one really is awfully short! This one is written by the fabulous JuweWright.

_July 17th 1994_

 

_Snape,_

 

_Sorry about the late answer. Your owls (yes, both of them at once) only found me yesterday. I moved around a few times in the last weeks, but I am now settled - as settled as I will ever be - in a cottage on Skye. The full address is on the envelope._

_Thank you for supplying me with the Wolfsbane potion. I know you have better things to do with your time, but I also know that even if Dumbledore asked you to do this, you could well have decided to let me become a ferocious beast every full moon. Merlin knows I probably deserve it for watching silently when James and Sirius treated you like shit back in school._

_I hope you can accept a late apology._

_Thanks again for the potion. I’ll take care to not forget taking it, even though it tastes a little bit like sweaty troll feet - much worse than it smells. Any chances you could do anything about that? I mean: You are the most skilled potion maker I know. If anyone can change this horrific taste it’s probably you._

 

_R. Lupin_

_P.S: I’ll send both birds back to you after I have fed them. The one that brought the first letter looks a bit dishevelled._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by the lovely Nantai. Enjoy!

July 19th 1994

 

Lupin,

I do not care what you feel you deserve or not and I most certainly don’t care for any half-arsed apologies through a letter. Potter and Black certainly paid for their…shall we call it youthful ignorance.

Again, I do not care for  any apologies and I would prefer you keep any such sentimentalities to yourself, Lupin.

As for the taste I’m afraid Aconitum has that unpleasant quality – do not try to mix it with anything sweetening because it will render the medicinal uses null and void. I’m afraid there isn’t anything I can do.

Urania and Hyperion arrived earlier today and I’m pleased to report that you haven’t managed to kill either of them. But I really would like to know what happened to Urania - she seems especially aggressive towards to colour pink.

 

Snape

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter written by JuweWright

_ July 21st 1994 _

_ Snape, _

 

_ Yes, I was wondering the same thing about your owl. She attacked the pig when she came here. And before you ask: Yes there is a pig. And two sheep. And a huge striped cat that believes it owns the place and only tolerates my presence. Urania didn’t like the cat much, either. They had - a bit of an argument. As your owl arrived rather late I assume she was intercepted on the way. She is rather distinctive with the pinstripe-look on the front after all (and you might not be the only one interested in my whereabouts).  _

 

_ I know you don't want to hear it but the last time I checked my butt was whole and healthy (every four weeks or so it’s a bit hairier than usual that's all). So any apology from my side is genuine and honest. But have it your way, I won't say anything of the sort again.  _

 

_ Shame about the taste having to be this disgusting. Even the cat flees the room whenever I uncork the bottle. And thanks for the hint about not putting sugar or honey in it. I was thoroughly tempted. _

 

_ The new school year is starting soon. I really enjoyed being a teacher at Hogwarts. It feels strange not to go back. Will you get the DADA post now?  _

 

_ R. _

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter written by Nantai. I hope you enjoy and have a good start into the week!

July 21 st 1994

Lupin,

 

How fascinating, you seem to have achieved quite the rural idyll. Urania is in general not very fond of others. She barely even tolerates Hyperion. (Not to talk about pigs or cats.)

I assume the Ministry isn’t too happy about your moving around. There are certain spells that will help Urania to stay undetected when she’s delivering your potion. I’ll apply them from now on.

I will thank if you won’t ever mention that again, Lupin.

Well, at least the cat has the sense to avoid what would be poisonous to it. You should also try not to eat anything sweet fifteen minutes to half an hour before and after taking the potion. It is generally not written in the notes for Wolfsbane - it has no proven correlation but according to my calculations it should improve the effects.

As for the new school year. The best thing about it, is that it is still over a month away. I do not actually desire that post. I just usually think that I know loads more than the yearly candidate for DADA. And looking back on recent history that generally was indeed true. Just thinking of Lockhart gives me a headache, and we’re not talking about Quirrel.

 

Have a nice full moon,

S. S.


	6. Chapter 6

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ August 3 _ _ rd _ _ 1994 _

 

_ Snape, _

 

_ Rural idyll or not… I am bored out of my wits! Any chance you can send me a book or two as well when you post the next potion? I feel like I am devolving into a stupid peasant.  _

 

_ But I don’t dare go back to any bigger city yet. I had a nasty letter from Lucius Malfoy the other day informing me that he is pleased I have now understood my place in society and found a dwelling in the wild where animals like me belong. Somebody please whack him over the head with that posh cane of his! _

 

_ Concerning the DADA assignment: You are absolutely right that in the recent years the candidates for the post were generally unsuited to the task. I have noticed that you didn’t include me in your list of failures and I am glad you didn’t. But whilst I believe I am not a pompous liar like Lockhart nor a whimpering worm afraid of his own wand like Quirrel, my disposition made me just as bad a candidate as them. I guess I should have told Dumbledore I couldn’t do it, but I always wanted to be a teacher and up to last year the only person who ever believed I could be one was Lily.  _

 

_ Nothing much has happened around here. The pig broke out one night and I had to search high and low to find it again. It is now cross with me, because I dragged it away from a very muddy area in the valley.  _

 

_ I also had a very interesting visit form Hagrid - Merlin knows who gave him my address - who let something slip about a “very big event” happening at Hogwarts this year, before launching into one of his “shouldn’t have said that” moments. I wonder what Dumbledore is planning.  _

  
_ P.S: I tried to find out what charm you used on Urania and couldn’t detect anything. Magnificent work, Severus! _


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some smug, acerbic Severus to head off your week! Enjoy!

August 5 th 1994

Lupin,

Good to see that you survived the full moon once again. I admit I was starting to wonder whether you had ran off into the wilderness.

As for your devolving into a stupid peasant – I do not see why it should be any concern of mine. But I included two newer books nevertheless. One was only published a month ago and explores the uses of Transfiguration in duels. I believe Minerva uses that technique quite often and if I remember correctly you were quite apt at Transfiguration yourself. The other book is a Potions text, also recently published, and I was wondering what your opinion on that one would be.

Antagonising Lucius in your current position would probably be unwise, especially considering that he somehow got a hold of your address. You might want to put some runic protections on any reflecting surfaces lest they’re used to spy on you. I do not know why Lucius would bother writing you if not in warning of his knowledge.

Lily always tended to believe the best of people and I’m quite sure that she would have given Dumbledore an earful for letting people bully you out of the office.

(You might find this humorous coming from the person who made your secret public. I admit it was in revenge for that night at the end of the school year, as well as for that night in our sixth year.

But more importantly I thought it prudent that the students knew to protect themselves, which is also why I assigned that essay about werewolves while covering for you after the full moon. I often expect people to actually use their brains and I am time and again disappointed by their dislike to do so.)

I’m more surprised that the pig didn’t try to make a run for it the moment it saw you, but then again I assume it is simply living up to its proverbial stupidity. Will it at least serve you as a meal at one point in the future?

If Hagrid visited you I’m sure Dumbledore wanted to make certain that you got wind of this event and start to investigate yourself. Salazar knows why that man wasn’t in Slytherin, sometimes even I am surprised by his cunning. My current guess is that he is expecting some kind of trouble with Potter during the event. The boy attracts problems like light attracts moths. Of course you’d be his most likely confidant aside from Black, so I assume he wants you to be prepared.

The charm happens to be of my own creation. It is of a more north-eastern magical tradition so you might find that using British, even European, methods will not yield any satisfying outcomes.

S. S.


	8. Chapter 8

_ 10th August 1994 _

_ Snape, _

 

_ Thank you for the books. I already delved into the transfiguration volume and was quite intrigued by the techniques described in it. I am not half as accomplished as Minerva is, but I think I'll have a go at some of the spells if the need for defensive action arises again. Looking forward to reading the Potions text now. _

 

_ You underestimate Lucius Malfoy's enjoyment of being a pompous pure-blood and rubbing his superiority into the faces of those he deems inferior. I still followed your advice and set up shield charms over all mirrors and windows in the cottage. _

 

_ The original intention was to eat the pig some day. But I fear that ship has sailed since I named it Esther and now feel emotionally attached to it. Also, I have found out that pigs aren't half as stupid as one tends to think. Esther actually reacts to her name and she recently discovered a way to unlatch the gate of her pen to then have a merry day of digging in what used to be a flowerbed. _

 

_ Dumbledore is indeed cunning. Sometimes I feel he is more cunning than sensible. If he endangers Potter on purpose by putting this event up - whatever it may be - he's not going to get away with it. I would think the prospect of facing both an infuriated half-wild ex-convict godfather and Molly Weasley's wrath on top of my own fury should deter him from doing so, but the man can be more ruthless than is good for him. _

 

_ I am impressed. How come you are that familiar with the North-Eastern magic?  _

 

_ R. _

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I'm late with this chapter! I'm pretty swamped with real life at the moment. I hope you enjoy it nevertheless!

August 15 th 1994

Lupin,

I believe at moment only Dumbledore himself reaches Minerva’s level of talent and pure power in Transfiguration. But broadening one’s horizon in terms of magic is nearly always a good idea. I’m sure while I was busy preparing another miserable year of Potions with dunderheads who have no lick of sense for safety, you most likely started and finished the potions text. What did you think?

You’re right in that Lucius loves to rub in his superiority. But he seldom goes out of his way to do so.

I am not entirely sure what to think of the fact that you named a pig, but then again you were friends with a rat, a dog and a stag, so it seems to fit the picture. Do the sheep have names too by now? And the cat for that matter?

To be entirely frank I do not think the Headmaster planned any of the mishappenings that have befallen Potter since the unfortunate incident in his first year. But he certainly isn’t going to interfere if Fate plays right into his hands.

(Also imaging Black, Molly and you tearing into Dumbledore for endangering Potter is truly amusing. Especially since Potter would try to protect the Headmaster and take all the blame.)

One of the Potions Masters I studied with for my own Mastery was of west-Siberian decent and introduced me to their magic. Little of it is published and even less scientifically researched – it was a big honour to be taught even the basics.

S. S.

* * *

 

August 22 nd 1994

Lupin,

I was at your cottage today after you had not answered the previous letter and Urania came back with the potion still attached to her leg. I informed Dumbledore that you’re missing and that it looks like you’ve been snatched up by somebody.

~~ I hope you return so ~~

Inform me and the Headmaster of your return as soon as you can.

S. S.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: implied/referenced torture (nothing concrete, Remus is very...flowery about it)  
> Also JuweWright is on a camping trip so I'm posting for her!

_ August 29th 1994 _

_ Snape, _

_ Apologies for the late reply. There was… Well, before you came to the cottage to look for me, I had had a few other visitors who took me on a - holiday from which I have only just returned. Among the unannounced guests was one very tiny pink-clad person with a perm and too much make-up who deemed it necessary to refer to me by ‘it’ and made a point out of ignoring the fact that I am a human being perfectly capable of speech. She was accompanied by two ministry officials I had never seen before and their arguments were - captivating. The cat actually let that woman pet it and even purred when she did and therefore will now remain nameless for all eternity. The sheep though… don't laugh at me but if you live the life of a hermit it's not completely insane to call your sheep Margaret and Elizabeth.  _

_ Whilst I was - detained - I would have had ample time to read through the potions assay but alas my visitors didn't think they should let me pack anything. They also kindly forgot to supply me with the Wolfsbane potion while I was waiting in their warm and comfortable prince’s suite between long hours of - friendly enquiries. The latter was fortunate inasmuch as they had to give me a set of new clothes afterwards so I didn't reek like a troll any more.  _

_ If Dumbledore hadn't got wind of the matter, I'd probably still be there. They were pretty clear that they didn't believe I have absolutely no idea where Sirius has gone and what he's doing. They even got the silver cutlery out for me and were quite disappointed when even after many hours of - conversation - I had still not provided them with an address. _

_ I thought I had seen Dumbledore’s wrath unleashed before but his entrance was spectacular. Doors banging wide-open, him striding into the place as if he owned it followed by that Phoenix of his who was kind enough to sit on my shoulder and cry a little until the fog in front of my eyes had lifted while his master recited about a dozen laws that they had broken with their treatment of me: it was quite the display of power.  _

_ I guess I have to thank you for my timely return home as it was you who alerted the headmaster to my absence. If you ever need anything that a middle-aged werewolf with halfway decent magical training can provide, let me know. Just don't do it in the next 48 hours as I intend to sleep until I feel less battered and broken and might actually be able to walk without wincing at every single step again. And after that I will finally get round to reading your potions text. _

_ I am impressed that you found a Master to teach you Siberian magic first-hand. He couldn't have found a worthier pupil though. I don't know anyone else who has as much of a knack for this subject as you do.  _

_ Remus _

_ PS: I let my kitchen table kick one of my visitors between the legs using one of the helpful spells from the transfiguration book. It was quite effective and can be recommended wholeheartedly as a first measure of self-defense if one isn't outnumbered three to one. _


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a peaceful Battle of Hogwarts remembrance day! Sorry I missed Monday but my week's been crazy. Have two chapters instead?

August 31 st 1994

Lupin,

I gathered as much from the state the cottage was in. If I was you I’d either put up some truly impressive wards or move on before somebody else gets any ideas. If the events of the past days are any indication the henchmen of the Dark Lord are getting more restless by the year.

I am glad that the book helped you somewhat in your fight, but alas the Ministry apparently managed to scrounge up at least three somewhat accomplished wizards. (Especially if you remember the ridiculously low expectations old Slughorn had for his NEWT classes.)

The cat indeed seems to care little about who enters its’ domain, it even tried to charm me. As for the sheep - I wonder whether calling them after the Queen and the Duchess of Snowdon is hilarious or troubling.

It is truly fortunate that our esteemed Headmaster showed up in such a timely manner. I hope he remembered to give you more medical attention than a few phoenix tears. I will enclose a restorative draught in the case he has not and you had to heal in your own time. If you should not need it, it has a shelf life of about a year and three drops as opposed to the usual five do wonders against any impeding colds. (Also, if you happen to taste the ingredients, please let me know, Nyusha insists on not telling me.) (It’s not like I would sell it, but Madam Pomfrey certainly wouldn’t complain about having something stronger in her apothecary.)

I merely did my duty - there is nothing owed for that.

After almost a month of very pointed questions he finally caved. As hard as his lessons were, he was without any question the most accomplished potion maker I ever had the honour to study with. He passed away five years ago and I was invited to the funeral, even though these things are usually only for the family. His daughter Nyusha has luckily continued his legacy and I believe his youngest son (still twenty years older than me) has recently taken the position as Potions Master in Koldovstoretz.

As the new school year begins tomorrow I will be residing in Hogwarts from now on. I am truly curious by now to learn more about the plans for this year.

S. S.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Juwe sends her best from England!

_ 5th September 1994 _

 

_ The Triwizard Tournament? Bloody hell, Severus what is Dumbledore thinking? Has the man lost his mind? I just received a short note from Hermione Granger (her owl found me right before I left. I have handed the keys to the  cottage back to my muggle farmer landlord who will look after my two Royal family members and the nameless cat). If it had been anyone else I'd question their sanity but Miss Granger is both extraordinarily gifted and highly rational so I assume that her information is sound.  _

_ Seriously: The Death Eaters are gathering their forces, there were Dementors guarding the castle last school year but hey, let's invite strangers and throw a massive competition/party this year! If there is any sound reasoning behind this, it escapes my understanding! _

_ How's the new year treating you? Has Seamus Finnegan blown up his cauldron yet?  _

_ Your potion did wonders and I can probably be of use to you for a change. Being a werewolf has the advantage of enhanced senses. I couldn't differentiate the ingredients by taste but I was able to do so by smell. I can't promise you that the list is complete but if anything else is in there, it's concentration must be very low. The wolf also can't smell the order in which the ingredients were added nor how the stirring and simmering process works, but I believe you might be more than capable to find that out easily.  I put my notes in the envelope and hope they'll help. _

_ Koldovstoretz… the only thing I know about that place that they play Quidditch on uprooted trees. I have seen pictures of it and am still wondering how they manage not to bump into each other with all the leaves obstructing the view. I think it's great you made a friend there. You probably know much more about their customs and their life than I do. And… just because it just occurred to me: Do you speak Russian?  _

_ I finally got round to reading the Potions paper and the idea of different metal compositions in plates playing into the magical power of herbs is quite intriguing as is the chapter about Crushing instead of Cutting and using a copper instead of a silver blade to gather more juice from the Sopophorous Bean. As a student potions always seemed very unmagical to me. Throw ingredients together, stick to the recipe, don't do anything wrong and your potion’s good to go. Since I have looked a bit further into the subject I find it much more interesting, as smallest deviations can have massive effects - disastrous or amazing ones. The difference between the common Potioneer and the true Potions Master is where a scientific approach is made instead of just reproducing instructions. By the way, Severus, you didn't truly believe I'd not recognize your writing style in that article, did you? Why didn't you just tell me it was yours? These findings are something you can be very proud of and I am in awe! No work of mine ever was published in an official journal. _

_ I don't know where I am going yet, but I guess Urania will find me somehow. I'm growing quite fond of her, even if her call is a little unsettling, because I sometimes feel she's mocking the fact that she has found me standing in the kitchen wearing an apron more than once. Is it normal for barred owls to enquire ‘who cooks for you?’. _

_ R.L. _


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter written by Nantai (I am back from England... it was beautiful)

September 10th 1994

Lupin,

Do I really have to explain to you that the Headmaster seems to be convinced that everything he intends to go well does bend to his will? Did Potter tell you that he did not even inform the parents of the petrified children of their state? We’re talking about the man who thought putting the Philosopher’s Stone in a castle full of children to draw out Voldemort would be an excellent chance to see how his saviour-to-be reacted in stressful situations and which friends he chose. Not to speak of his inability to hire a suitable curse breaker who manages to take the curse from the bloody DADA post. He hired Moody for Salazar’s sake! A man who is known to be at least three-quarters completely bonkers!

It’s an invitation for things going wrong, especially if one keeps in mind that no other than Igor Karkaroff is the Headmaster at Durmstrang, a known Death Eater! My best guess is that Dumbledore wants to make connections to the other European schools to have allies in case of an emergency.

Do not mention that name in my vicinity and neither that of the Longbottom heir. While Longbottom is at least somewhat capable of writing legible and mostly coherent essays this gem comes from Finnegan’s quill to you:

_An anecdote is a potion or potion ingredint that will un-do the affects of the poison or venom used._

Or a particularly charming example from a first year:

_Wolvesbane is used to keep wolves away, because it smells ~~like troll~~ really bad. Also it’s venomonous to muggles. _

I do not know why we choose students on magical power and not based on the fact whether or not they’re able to bloody spell the words! Is it truly so hard to give your children a basic education? I know not everyone has the money for a tutor or the inclination to send their children to a muggle school. But by God if I have to read another sentence with letters written backwards and spelling so bad they would’ve gotten beaten for that alone had they been to muggle school…

Thank you for your notes, they’re quite thorough and I shall spend the entirety of my free time trying to recreate this potion. Thankfully I know Nyusha’s brewing process well enough that I don’t have to start from scratch. Restorative draughts have a basic recipe from which one can deviate and add other components, maybe change the stirring direction at some points, but nothing too flexible.

I myself have never been to the school, I had simply no reason to. But I shall tell you a secret: they do not indeed play on the uprooted trees, they simply train with them because they’re slower than your average broom and it keeps visitors from guessing their strategies. I actually asked about that while I was living with them and they laughed quite heartily about it. I do indeed speak Russian. My mother was from a Russian pure-blood family that immigrated to England after the October revolution.

It’s good to hear that you found the subject to be stimulating. I was hoping that it would be comprehensible to a grown person without much deeper knowledge about potion making. To be frank: this article is not for an official potions journal (although it was published in one) but for a textbook for advanced students in the US. Unlike our dear Ministry the MACUSA is continuously working to have the most current findings taught in Ilvermorny and other smaller schools all across the country.

If it is any consolation, the journal wouldn’t publish the article unless I agreed to have it published anonymously and to never publish it separately in the United Kingdom under my own name. The joys of being a reformed Death Eater without wealth and a family name.

Urania is a judgemental lady and I’m certain if she was human she would sniff derisively at the fact that she’s supposed to _search_ for you. As soon as you’re settled again, let me know and I’ll have your potion and two new books for you.

Severus


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter by JuweWright, enjoy! :)

_ September 14th 1994 _

 

_ Severus,  _

 

_ I repaid Urania for the inconvenience of having to search for me with some owl-treats and the right to hunt down the fat rat who lived in the barn next door. She seems to be quite content at the moment and is making disgusting noises while dissecting the rodent. _

 

_ If you send the letters to the address below, they will be forwarded to me. This is the safest place I could think of and hopefully no pink-clad crazy cat-lady will find me here. Do you know that woman, Umbridge? She still features prominently in my nightmares and I fear she has a career before her in the Ministry. She’s completely ruthless. _

 

_ Oh dear. Yes, I sometimes wonder if it wouldn’t be a good idea if we adapted the primary education system of the Muggles, having our children taught their letters by capable teachers instead of homeschooling them until the age of 11. Hardly anyone from the wizarding community even considers sending their offspring to a Muggle school, because it would require some effort to hold up appearances when it comes to parent’s day and stuff like that. I have read essays in which I had to guess every second word, due to the atrocious spelling. Ronald Weasley is my favourite candidate for “guess the word” - even though in his case, it’s probably to blame on his own laziness rather than Arthur’s and Molly’s parenting, because the twins and his younger sister seem to be capable of writing flawlessly. You could always tell when he copied his homework from Miss Granger because of the increased legibility.  _

 

_ I’m appalled that the journal only let you publish the article anonymously. Do the Americans let you use your name for the book project? The MACUSA seems so much more willing to allow progress than our own Ministry. Did you know that werewolves in the states get state-funded supplies of Wolfsbane? The legislation on that was issued only five years ago, but there have been much fewer incidents of werewolf-bites. Of course you get the likes of Fenrir Greyback over there as well, who embrace the animal and love the cruelty, but they are few.  _

 

_ Urania just coughed up a ball of feathers and bones onto my kitchen table. Charming. _

 

_ R. _


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Attention: since I'm currently incredibly busy we'll reduce updates to once a week so we don't loose our headstart! I hope you enjoy this chapter nevertheless and have a good week! :)

September 16 th 1994

Lupin,

Remind me to never, never trust Miss Lovegood when she claims to know what potion she is brewing. I swear that girl will one day be the death of me!

I see you and Urania get along splendidly. I’ll have to steal her away this once though, because I need her for a cross-continent delivery. I’m sure Hyperion will be delighted to get a chance to stretch his wings. He’s also less conspicuous than Urania.

I do believe I know Ms Umbridge, she seems rather attached to the Minister’s arse and I do not trust anyone who wears that much pink un-ironically.

“Guess the word” is probably one of my least favourite past-times, but since you mention Miss Granger: it would be just as fortunate if muggleborn or muggleraised children learned to properly write with a quill! I believe Miss Granger got herself a book on it some time in first year, but she’s one of the few. So while the muggleraised students at least have the ability to spell things correctly the legibility is not increased. (Although I had once a Ravenclaw muggleborn who charmed a pen to write like a quill and that worked out surprisingly well.)

The Americans insisted on using my name, even though I warned them about my previous association with the Dark Lord. The magical community in the US in general is much more to my liking – less stiff, less prejudiced. If things had been different after the war I might very well have moved over there. I hear they have many smaller schools that are always in need of capable teachers. And not only do they have a state-funded supply of Wolfsbane, they also support the Native community in every way they can. Especially compared to their muggle counterpart they’re doing much better. And every group has their Fenrir Greyback, that’s probably human nature.

I have to admit that I’m very curious about the Triwizard Tournament by now. Dumbledore just ordered me to brew a water-based voice-recording potion – what does he want with a Mermish recording? It’s not like anyone would voluntarily listen to that on dry land anyway!

Severus


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello. This is JuweWright/Remus speaking (who is currently slightly indisposed due to having caught a cold right when summer decided to appear... *sneezes and blows nose*). I give you another chapter of "CC". Happy to notice that there are already some regular readers following this little story. <3

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ 19th September 1994 _

_ Severus,  _

 

_ I always thought Miss Lovegood was quite capable as long as she didn’t get distracted by whatever new made-up esoteric creature she had read about in her father’s magazine. What potion did she brew (and which one was it supposed to be instead)? Any collaterals? _

_ Thanks for supplying me with the Wolfsbane potion again. It helps me keep my head straight even though it doesn’t counteract all the weird side-effects of my condition. Craving bloody steaks - and if I say bloody, I mean raw - every month would be strange enough, but I also get insomnia and constantly feel tired at the same time. I am writing this at two o’clock in the morning and the moon is shining through the window, mocking me and making me want to scratch myself behind my ears with my feet, but also providing enough light that I don’t even need a candle. _

_ I like the Ravenclaw solution to the quill problem. I mean, thinking about it, quills aren’t the best and sturdiest instruments to write with anyways. I go through them quite quickly, even though I am used to handling them. Charming a pen is very sensible in that regard. And yes, Hermione will have read a book about writing with quills, she probably has read a book about everything. _

_ You make the US sound so marvellous. I have never given much thought to the possibility of moving abroad and now I wonder why. Just two years ago I didn’t have any family, nor any connections holding me here… and I guess, I am lying to myself if I pretend that Harry couldn’t do without me. He has the Weasleys looking after him. And Sirius, even though his “looking after” is inhibited quite a bit by the fact that he can’t show his face anywhere. _

_ Recordings of Mermish voices would only make sense to me if Dumbledore intended to give every contestant a massive headache, otitis and a toothache at the same time. Listening to those recordings must be almost as bad as listening to Celestina Warbeck. Keep me posted on the proceedings of the tournament! _

_ Remus _


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday everyone, enjoy the new chapter! :)

September 29 th 1994

Remus,

We were brewing a minor hair colour potion, which Miss Lovegood managed to turn into a quite effective pesticide. I can admit the brilliance of her work, but sometimes she seems to be not quite in the right point of the timeline. Luckily the odour and colour of the pesticide was indication enough for me not to try it on anyone. I believe if Miss Lovegood had been in the right frame of mind she would have easily bested everyone in her class.

The Wolfsbane potion is without question only a symptomatic treatment which can and should be improved or included in a bigger medical treatment plan. Alas I doubt many werewolves would trust government institutions enough to let them experiment on them. And since there is no other species affected by the virus human testing is crucial.

If only Miss Granger had read a book about basic wizarding etiquette!

Indeed I think Miss Woodworth could make a fortune of the charm, if she wanted to, but she is very much the scholarly type and even less present most of the time than Miss Lovegood is. A true child of Rowena Ravenclaw.

As if Dumbledore would let any of us move away while the war is brewing. I can only hope to be sent there on a mission or to survive the war and be able to leave for the continent or the US.

And as to Potter having the Weasleys and Black looking after him: Molly certainly loves and coddles him, Black on the other hand likely encourages him to many stupidities and his grip on sanity is far more loose than yours. And doesn’t Potter have his family to look after him? Dumbledore told me he lives with relatives.  ~~ I assume they treat him according to his stat ~~

The use for the potion surely will be revealed in due course, at least I hope so for my own sanity’s sake.

How well did you know Alastor Moody in the last war?

Severus


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry bout the slight delay in posting this time. Somehow both of us completely forgot. I'd love to say I have the cast-iron excuse of hitting my head on a "no parking" sign last week (I was riding my bike at full speed and the sun was blinding me and well, I just crashed into it), but as I ended up NOT having a concussion, I guess that doesn't speak in my favour. What might work though is that summer decided to make an entrance. As we were still kind of hibernating last week, the sudden rise in temperatures might have affected our brain-capacities. It made my laptop's CPU overheat after all.
> 
> Anyways, here comes the next part of "CC" and we hope you enjoy it!
> 
> (Juwe)

_ October 1st 1994 _

_ Severus, _

 

_ I didn’t know you dabbled in such mundane solutions as hair colouring potions. Don’t tell me you tested Luna’s concoction on yourself and are now gone bald - not that there’s anything wrong with baldness, I just don’t think it suits you. _

_ Ugh… yes, I can relate to not trusting the government enough to allow them to experiment on me. After my latest encounter with people in official positions, I doubt, I will ever establish anything like trust towards the powers-that-be. _

_ As it happens I know Miss Granger at least owns a book about Wizarding Etiquette. Molly gave it to her. She made it through the first chapter and then went on a rant how backwards and old-fashioned all of our customs are and “how the heck can you still be stuck in Victorian times in your head?”.  _

_ You’re right about Dumbledore. He’d probably chain us up in a dungeon somewhere and have us give the unbreakable vow not to leave Britain before letting us lose again if he were to suspect any of us wanted to search their fortune elsewhere.  _

_ Sirius hasn’t quite grasped the fact yet, that Harry isn’t James. I don’t think he is able to seperate the two in his mind. He’d tell you that yes, he totally can, but I think subconsciously he feels like James has come back to once more be his prankster-companion. I’d not go as far as you in saying that he’s crazy, but Azkaban has surely left its marks on him.  _

_ Merlin’s pants, I thought Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall might have filled you in on this one: Harry’s family is terrible. He’s been treated like scum for the first eleven years of his life. He didn’t even have a room until he started school, but lived in the cupboard under the stairs. Petunia Dursley hasn’t changed at all. Do you remember how much she hated Lily because she thought she was an abomination? Well, she found herself the most Muggle husband you can imagine and her and Vernon Dursley tried to help her quench every last magical spark the boy had - which they obviously didn’t manage to do. I think the Weasley twins plus their younger brother broke him out of his room in year two. There were actual bars in front of the window! I know you’re not fond of Potter, but with his background, we’re lucky he isn’t insane or evil. _

_ Mad Eye Moody? I didn’t have much to do with him during the War. He was a bit too - eccentric for my taste. He asked me to fill him in on the progress of the DADA classes this summer, but I hadn’t heard from him in years before that. Why are you asking? _

_ By the way, is Urania all right? You’ve not sent Hyperion to deliver a letter ever since that very first correspondence we had and I was a bit surprised to see the little owl crouched on my window sill this morning.  _

_ Remus _


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I didn't update on Monday, I was on a festival the whole weekend till Monday afternoon. I hope we'll get back to the usual schedule next week! 
> 
> ~ Nantai

October 8th 1994

Remus,

Well, I have to start them somewhere. I learned early on that it is not wise to try and deviate from the curriculum, but at least I managed to convince the Headmaster to update the school books used for teaching – the ones dear old Slughorn used were dreadfully outdated. Miss Lovegood’s concoction was quite obviously not the required potion and I am not so stupid to test the concoctions of students on a living being, I only threaten to do so.

And many of your species have similar experiences and much less education than you do, so they wouldn’t even understand that the Ministry really _could_ help if they were so inclined.

That does indeed sound like Miss Granger and I wonder if anyone pointed out to her that we are not simply ‘other’ British people but a whole different people with a different history and culture who just happen to share the same land mass with the British muggles.

Oh no, he would not chain us up. He’d make us professors and call it charity.

He’d be truly an outstanding wizard if he had survived Azkaban without its’ claw marks all over his mind and soul. But I wouldn’t trust Black to separate the two Potters even if he hadn’t had an extended stay in that madhouse.

HE SENT HIM TO PETUNIA DURSLEY?! If I didn’t know better I would ask if Dumbledore is gibbering mad, but it seems indeed much more likely that our Headmaster intends something bigger and very unpleasant for Potter! I know Petunia better than anyone else in the Wizarding World and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, even without having seen her since 1981, that Potter would have had a safer and more caring home at Nott Manor. If you know anything at all about Thoros Nott, you will understand what I mean. I think I remember a Vernon Dursley, they started dating in our sixth school year, if I remember correctly, and he was a mean bully even then. I can’t imagine he improved much.

I’ll have to concede your point. Knowing Petunia and Vernon, and especially considering the boy’s behaviour in retrospective, we are indeed lucky that the hope of so many Death Eaters for Potter to be another Dark Lord did not come true. Can you imagine what Lily would have said? ~~I wish she~~

Dumbledore most certainly wouldn’t have told me anything about this, and if Minerva is in the know I doubt she’d come to me - she knows how much I hate James.

As you know Moody has been teaching here over a month now and to call his teaching methods questionable would be an understatement. The others accept it because of his known craziness since the war, but something doesn’t feel quite right. It might be nothing.

Urania is fine as you can see, she simply was delayed during her flight across the continent because of a storm over Slovakia. Hyperion isn’t suited to fly such lengths.

Also please send me an effective and untraceable poison, because I believe I will have to kill Mister Finch-Fletchley if he misspells “Barberry” one more time. For Salazar’s sake it’s written in the texts he is reading, why would he spell it “Burberry”?!

Severus

PS: Hyperion was downright disappointed when I attached the letter to Urania’s leg – What have you done to my owl?


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this should put us back on schedule now!  
> For those who enquired: I'm fine and the dentist told me I'll even get to keep my tooth. Yay!  
> CC is one of the few things that I will keep doing throughout the next months (I'll have to opt out of some fests I joined in my overenthusiastic manner). The book definitely gets priority now until I see the damned thing on a bookshop shelf! But writing Remus and working together with nantai to make this a cool story, has become so much fun, I'll not give that up for the world.  
> Juwe

_ October 12th 1994 _

_ Severus, _

 

_ I agree with you that we have to count ourselves lucky Harry did not join the dark side. I don’t know if a lot of people who had been raised in a similar manner would still have the ability to love and form  friendships the way he did.  _

_ I confronted Dumbledore about this horrific decision when I joined the teaching staff at Hogwarts but his answer was both unsatisfactory and nebulous, so you might well be right in assuming he’s got some grand scheme which he wants Harry to play a part in. I wish he’d just let the boy be a boy and leave the fighting to the adults.  _

_ You know, Lilly was a good friend to me in school, actually a better friend than James or Sirius most of the time. She had the habit of actually listening to me whilst James and Sirius… well, I don’t have to give you a summary of their behaviour as you witnessed it first-hand. If there were a way that I could bring her back to life and even if it would mean exchanging my own for it, I’d not hesitate a second to do whatever it takes. Hopefully, I’d still be able to watch her kick Dumbledore across his office with the well-known Evans-rage burning in her eyes. I might hang around as a ghost for a bit, just to make sure I get to see that spectacle. _

_ Concerning the “same land mass, different people” argument, Hermione’d probably not let that count because wizards have married muggles over centuries now.  _

_ Moody’s behaviour has never been normal, but I hoped he might be able to keep his paranoia out of the classroom even though I don’t think the man should be a teacher in the first place. He once turned me into a dustbin for speaking out of turn - and I was a full-grown adult at the time, not a teenager in hormonal trouble.  _

_ Sorry, I almost choked on my tea right now over the Barberry-issue. As far as I know, Burberry is a muggle brand for expensive clothing. I wouldn’t have assumed Mr Finch-Fletchley came from a wealthy enough background to get confused over the two though. As for the poison, Severus, you are the one with a storage room full of herbs and potion ingredients that I couldn’t get my hands on in this place even if I searched for years. The only thing I could send you is different types of fungi. This place is dreary enough in summer, but autumn turns it into a mouldy cave. I might have to move elsewhere again soon. _

_ I didn’t do anything to Hyperion. I might have petted him because he makes that endearing coo-ing noise when you do and looked quite happy when I did it. And I let him loose in my landlady’s barn - she’s not my landlady as such, admittedly, she has no idea a werewolf resides in the old tool-shed behind her house - because she has an extensive mouse-infestation and her old tomcat is both half-blind and half-lame. The rodents could dance on his back and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. _

_ Remus _


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On behalf of nantai who is away today, here comes the next chapter! Enjoy!

17 th October 1994

Remus,

I’m sending your potion and two new books. What did you think about that book I sent you last time, the one by Schweizer? I think his thesis about metamorphmagi being more closely related to our more magical predecessors is quite fascinating especially considering that Miss Tonks’ ability does not seem to stem from the Black family side.

Dumbledore has always been fond of his pawns – he likes them young and easy to manipulate. I swore an oath to protect the boy and yet Dumbledore insists on making the task quite hard. Before you ask: I did swear the oath after Lily died.

While that is a picture worth contemplating, I do not think Lily would think too kindly of you for giving your own life to bring her back. In fact she would probably kick your arse first. We’ll just have to wait for the two to meet in the afterlife and then we can just lean back and enjoy.

(And if you did wonder: I indeed knew that Lily spent more time with you after our…disagreement. It was one of the reasons why I so obsessively pursued my interest in your secret. I apologise for that.)

And yet we usually expect them to keep their cultures separate, or for the muggle to fit themselves in our culture. But I honestly would not want to discuss anything socio-political with Miss Granger at the moment – Have you heard about SPEW yet?

That transformation is another thing I would have paid to see! But that is somewhat reassuring but I’m still concerned about Moody’s behaviour. Sometimes it seems not to fit and then there are moments where I could swear he’s behaving like someone I once knew. But that’s probably just me being as paranoid as the old coot himself.

That brand-name somewhat explains that issue. I shall use that knowledge if Mr. Finnegan confuses the two in his next essay.

Dear Remus, do I have to explain to you that all the ingredients I do have are positively soaked in my magic and therefore useless for a stealthy use, especially with someone like Moody in the castle? I did think Slughorn covered that in his potions lessons: if you use ingredients regularly and prepare them yourself they will always retain a bit of your magical signature making it possible to trace potions back to their makers.

Are they muggle fungi? Because if they are I still might be interested. They often make great untraceable poisons, after all they don’t have a magical signature.

Ah, so you bribed Hyperion. That does explain it quite well. And while it is probably rather safe that your, shall we call her ‘your landlady?, doesn’t know that you live there, a tool-shed sounds a bit unpleasant for the colder months.

Severus


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Juwe's behalf it's me posting today! Enjoy the new chapter and have a nice week :)  
> ~Nantai

_ 23rd October 1994 _

_ Severus,  _

_ The potion arrived just in time. The days around the full moon were particularly unpleasant this time. I have no idea why the severity of my condition is quite variable. Oh, and did you know that wolves can get fleas? Well, I didn’t know either! I blame my landlady’s dog! Useless mutt! I’ve got sore patches on my back and sides now but I think I’ve gotten rid of the plague.  _

_ I think Urania must have flown through a storm, she looked a bit worse for wear when she got here but she’s fine now judging from the hooting in the barn. _

_ I found the Schweizer book fascinating. It offered a whole new perspective on magic and how it’s passed on through the generations. I’d personally love to see a muggle with knowledge of Genetics have a look into the whole subject. Is our DNA fundamentally different from that of Muggles? Are there several magical genes that impact a person’s ability to do magic? I fear with the Ministry’s reluctance to embrace Muggle inventions and Muggle science, we’re not going to get that information any time soon. It’s a shame. _

_ I didn’t know about your oath, but I remember how much you liked Lily. I always found it strange you so blatantly disliked Harry, but I guess his being the spitting image of his father doesn’t help in that regard.  _

_ Concerning my friendship with Lily, it was just that, friendship, albeit probably the best one I ever had. No need to apologize for your actions though. You were a teenager and it must have looked as if she abandoned you not only for James but also for me. In a better world, we could all have been friends. Well… I find it hard to imagine a world in which James and you would ever see eye to eye, but under the current circumstances I think at least the connection between you and me has become much better since July. _

_ I heard about SPEW. Hermione sent me - well, let me call it a “Pamphlet”. It’s a 70 inch essay about elf-rights and I couldn’t be bothered to read further than the first two inches before I threw it into the fire. She tries to compare the elves’ living conditions with that of human slaves and I just can’t be bothered to read through all of it knowing that it’s based on the hypothesis that elves are more or less just “tiny humans”. I understand what it looks like to her. I just hope somebody will make her see reason in that matter - and soon before she alienates all the elves in Hogwarts by leaving knitted hats lying about. _

_ Even though I find it a little disconcerting what you might do with them, I am including samples of the fungi in this parcel. If you can use any of them, I have an ample supply right at my hands here. Don’t kill anyone with the stuff, will you? I’m not keen on becoming an accomplice in a murder-case after managing to avoid infecting and/or killing anybody for the last few decades. _

_ Remus _


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter, enjoy! :)  
> ~Nantai

October 28 th 1994

Remus,

I hope you didn’t send any fleas with poor Urania and I’m indeed not too surprised since humans can get fleas too. I’ll send you a soothing cream as long as you promise to put up some protective wards against parasites lest Urania brings them home with her. 

As to the subject of the way your condition varies, there might be a certain influence from the moon and its relation to the other celestial bodies. But I guess that Professor Sinistra might be able to give you a better insight than me.

Urania looked fine when she arrive back here, but a detection charm showed me that she actually had to dodge tries to capture her. I think I’ll send future letters with Hyperion for a while.

Actually I have been in contact with a group of witches and wizards from Germany who are currently working on achieving the appropriate degrees at muggle universities. They’re our age, two are muggleborn, three had muggle parents and the other three were sent to muggle schools until they were eleven. They learned the basic scientific method there and achieved various masteries in magical subjects before they returned to school to get degrees in medicine and science. I studied with two of them and asked them to keep me posted on what they learned and worked on. Ms Freude is becoming quite fascinated by the same genetic questions you asked and I think she’ll be working on that during her doctorate degree.

You would dislike James Potter and his son too if you had been on the pointy end of his stick. And that’s all I’m going to say to that.

I have to admit that I will never think that we all could have been friends. But I also admit that had things been different Lily might have convinced me to become friends with you. As it is I’m quite glad to have an intelligent conversational partner, who responds with some regularity.

It is to be expected that Miss Granger makes certain mistakes in regard to the house-elves, but I’m concerned that only Mr Weasley will try to inform her and he is not quite eloquent enough to explain it to her properly. Maybe Minerva can be convinced to take her to the side and give her some information. Minerva is technically muggleraised and might be able to understand Miss Granger’s concern quite well, especially since she was a young girl during the Second World War. 

I appreciate the fungi very much and you needn’t worry – I won’t use them to kill anyone. Even if, there is no magical residue on them and I made certain to transfer them to a sterile container as soon as I discovered them. They will be very useful should Karkaroff try to annoy me too much.

Apropos Karkaroff. The delegations from the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons will arrive on the evening of the 30 th and Dumbledore has informed me that the Durmstrangs are to stay strictly at the Slytherin house table. He probably fears they might infect the rest of Hogwarts with the notion that not all forbidden magic is necessarily evil…

Do you need any further reading material?

Severus


	24. Chapter 24

_ November 1 _ _ st  _ _ 1994 _

_ Severus _

 

_ I moved. It became way too cold in the garden shed. Also, the fact that your owls got intercepted again, made me aware that I might have stayed in one place a little too long. Hyperion found me and I think he likes my new abode even though there isn’t an eternal supply of mice here. There’s also not an eternal supply of fungi, but I collected some before I left. I have three mason jars full of each. As the jars are bigger than Hyperion though, I’d rather wait to have Urania despatch them or send them some other way. The little fellow is hooting loudly right now and probably wants to inform me that he’s a big and capable owl, but I am quite fond of him and don’t want him to drop out of the sky in exhaustion. _

_ I got rid of the fleas. I was aware that humans can have them, too, but believe me the more hair you have, the worse it gets! _

_ I’d like to meet Ms Freude some day. Sounds like she is the kind of open minded person that the wizarding world needs. If there’s any possibility to set up a meeting at some point in the future - I’d offer blood samples and whatever else she might want from a lycanthrope. (Re-reading the last sentence, this sounds more than shady, but I believe you are well able to grasp my meaning). _

_ I am very happy to have never been at the pointy end of James’s stick. I let that particular and questionable honour fall to Lily. And yes, I fully understand what you meant, but I just couldn’t let this opportunity pass by. I am a lonely wolf residing in a lonely but warm and dry home. My opportunities for humour have been scarce, I’m out of practice. (Also, in full honesty and to make this even less funny than it was in the first place: There’s only one stick I was ever at the pointy end of and that was a long time ago… people change.) _

_ I hope Minerva looks into that whole SPEW business. Miss Granger hasn’t sent anything for a week now - probably because the owl is still looking for me - but before that I got flyers and long letters about elf-rights and the application form to become an activist in her little delusional organization. Has anyone joined it at all? Shouldn’t it deter her that nobody is interested in helping her with her pursuit? _

_ May I ask what exactly the mushrooms do if you give them to unsuspecting people (like Karkaroff)? Just in case I ever meet this horrible woman Umbridge again, I’d like to be prepared. _

_ How’s the arrival of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang delegation been? I imagine there will have been quite the commotion among the older students.  _

_ Even though my new abode is warmer and dryer than the last one, the supply in books is scarce and most of the volumes I found on the shelves are badly written romance novels - with half-naked kilt-wearing Highwaymen on the cover. So yes, please, any reading material that doesn’t fry my brain-cells with seven-page-long descriptions of “his eyes, his manly pelvis and his ribbed muscle” will be highly appreciated! _

_ Remus _


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! A new letter for you, enjoy!

3rd November 1994

Remus,

In all that is holy and above, please tell me that you didn’t teach Potter anything that would help him defeat an age line drawn by Albus Dumbledore himself and an ancient magical artifact to convince it to choose him as contestant! At this rate I’m not going to make it to the next millennium - my heart will give out first. The arrival of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students was positively boring in comparison. Thank the gods that at least my Slytherins are sneaky enough not to get caught in compromising positions by me. 

I’m glad you’re considerate of Hyperion. He would indeed try to carry them if he was given the chance. As it is you can keep the jars for now, I’m watched like an especially tasty snake at the moment.   
The fungi will cause rashes and stomach problems, so not exactly an immediate solution to a certain pink problem. But very useful if you don’t want to see someone at the next meal. 

I’m afraid Miss Granger is only more invigorated with every rejection and Minerva insists that she is too busy to deal with it. If I have to listen to one more house-elf complaining about her I will talk to her myself. Although I would probably have to get past Potter first. 

Speaking of Potter, it seems that even his friends believe he would be capable of fooling the Goblet of Fire. Nearly the whole school suddenly hates the Boy Who Lived. I have not yet decided whether I think Potter capable of such magical feasts.

For the next part I shall note that I would be very thankful if you either found yourself someone to shag or at least managed to keep your mind out of the gutter while writing to me. 

I assume that your...frustration comes from the bad literature and the missing company. I can help with the former. But since Hyperion will not be up to delivering so many books I’ll send you a nifty magical object a friend of mine came up with. These are two boxes which are connected by a version of the Protean Charm: any book I’ll put in my box will appear in yours, you can take it out and read it, and once you’re done you can put it back in, making it reappear in my box. Of course you could put anything in, but living things have a tendency not to survive.

Karkaroff is not far from trying to break down my door, I’ll have to go and make certain he calms down. He has been twitchy since the moment he laid eyes on Moody. 

Severus


	26. Chapter 26

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ 10th November 1994 _

_ Severus, _

 

_ Wait - Harry’s name was in the goblet? And it got picked? How? Why? No! I didn’t teach him anything that might enable him to defeat the age-line and I am pretty sure he doesn’t know any magic that would be advanced enough to do so! Someone else must have put his name in there! Somebody screwed with the enchantment so it would be picked! The tournament is dangerous! People get hurt in it! Karkaroff? Is there any chance Harry can still get out of this? Why can’t Dumbledore get him out of it? _

_ I appreciate the book-box, thank you very much! I found “Gnomes and Trolls” quite entertaining. I never knew much about these creatures nor did I ever think I needed to study them to any extent, but the writing in the book is superbly done and I don’t mind having broadened my horizon with it in unexpected ways. I definitely didn’t need the exact recipe for troll soup though. I think that put me off food forever. _

_ If you believe that my last letter was already a case of “mind in the gutter”, Severus, you have absolutely no idea where the gutter is.  _

_ I decided to put the fungi-glasses into the box. I guess you’ll be able to get them out and store them somewhere safe away from prying eyes. _

_ What is that about Karkaroff and Moody?  _

_ Keep me posted on what is going on at Hogwarts. I sincerely hope they won’t let Harry compete, but I guess there’s some kind of binding-spell on the goblet that might not be breakable? _

_ Remus _


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drama baby! This chapter is written by Juwe and posted by Nantai, enjoy!

14th November 1994

SEVERUS SNAPE! I HAD COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT ANY AVERSIONS JAMES AND SIRIUS HARBOURED AGAINST YOU WERE UNFOUNDED! I MUST HAVE BEEN BLIND, DEAF AND STUPID! I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HARRY THIS MORNING WHO HAS NOT BEEN IN TOUCH FOR AGES, BUT DEEMED IT NECESSARY TO INFORM ME OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED YESTERDAY! I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU TREATED MISS GRANGER SO HORRIBLY! IT’S ONE THING TO FAVOUR YOUR OWN HOUSE AND AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THING TO BE OPENLY MEAN TOWARDS A STUDENT! TO SAY THAT I AM DISAPPOINTED DOESN’T EVEN COVER IT! I THOUGHT YOU WERE AN ADULT! I THOUGHT YOU WERE CAPABLE OF EMPATHY BECAUSE YOU SEEMED TO DISPLAY AT LEAST SOME OF IT TOWARDS ME! BUT YOU HAVE PROVEN THAT THE BOY WHO GETS BULLIED BECOMES THE MAN WHO BULLIES OTHERS! IF I DIDN’T RELY ON YOU FOR THE WOLFSBANE I’D TELL YOU TO NEVER CONTACT ME AGAIN, BECAUSE I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH PEOPLE LIKE YOU, WHO NEED TO PUT OTHERS DOWN TO LIFT THEMSELVES UP! YOU ARE A SORRY EXCUSE OF A MAN AND I AM ASHAMED I WAS ABOUT TO CONSIDER YOU A FRIEND!


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel a little bit evil to leave you hanging with just this tiny bit of new material... but I can promise you their letters will get longer again, if that is a consolation

16th November 1994

As Dumbledore expects me to send an owl today I’ll send the potion with Hyperion. If you are ready to actually hear my reasoning instead of Potter’s surely overly dramatic tale I shall send it to you via the book box.

 

_ 22nd November 1994 _

_ I am not entirely sure I want to hear your reasoning. I am not even sure I want to talk to you ever again. But I will give you one single chance to try to explain this matter to me. _

_ Remus _

_ P.S.: Does the existence of the book box mean I only get to pet Hyperion every full moon now?  _


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers! Last update from me for the next six weeks, since I'll be leaving for excavation next Monday. Juwe will, of course, continue to update! I hope you guys have a nice September and see you soon! Enjoy the new chapter where Snape tries to explain.
> 
>  
> 
> ~Nantai

24th November 1994

Remus, 

Hyperion quite literally started attacking me when I tried putting the letter in the box. So it seems he insists on delivering. (Also I got blood on the letter and had to re-write it.)

First I have to tell you something: the Dark Lord is gaining in strength by the day. The Mark is darkening and I’ve had more than one acolyte write me whether it’s the same for me. Lucius Malfoy was one of them, as was Cassius Parkinson. 

Draco was being his usual arrogant and short-sighted self when he attacked Potter in a cramped corridor and Potter was equally stupid. We both know what happens if you duel in a packed group in a tight spot. Goyle’s furuncle was threatening to burst, sending him to the Hospital Wing was the sensible thing. But Miss Granger’s teeth had been noticed by Parkinson and she would have reported to her father if I had treated them immediately. Sending her to the Hospital Wing with Goyle would have gone wrong in seconds - he’s far more stupid than Malfoy and also hates Muggleborns more. Imagined you had send Lily and, say, Travers to the Hospital Wing together.

I know you will not understand how I can let politics seep into my treatment of the students, but it’s what is expected of me as a Slytherin and Death Eater. 

Severus


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers! As promised, here's the next part! Hopefully, Nantai won't fall into any ditches or suffer a massive heat-stroke while digging things out of the ground and will be back soon. :-)

_27th November 1994_

_Severus,_

_Does Dumbledore know about the Mark? It really sounds as if your former employer is gaining strength if it affects not only you but all the others as well. I wonder what he’s up to._

_All right, I admit I can see the sense behind your actions. The kids can’t though. They’ll hate you even more now than they did before, even though the Rita Skeeter article will probably make that atrocious woman the aim of their combined dislike for quite a while now. Did you read that article by any chance? I’ve never met Miss Skeeter and hope I can avoid to do so in the future, but oh dear, she truly has a vivid imagination._

_Talking about stupid people: Sirius is an idiot! He contacted Harry via the floo network. You might be wondering why I know that. Well, guess what: The damn dog jumped onto the next best broom he could find in the cellar of his hideout and came HERE. Which led to that mini-owl, I think it’s Miss Weasley’s, coming here as well with a letter from Harry two days later! I’m going to have to change location yet again, because they might have been seen! And I liked it here!_

_By the way I can’t believe they had dragons as the first task! Dragons! Actual, fire-breathing, dangerous, deadly dragons! Merlin’s striped underpants! What is next?_

_I’m quite happy Hyperion didn’t like the box being used for mail. Does it work like a vanishing cabinet by the way? So can you put living creatures in it? (Yes, I am able to see the advantage in terms of quick delivery and secrecy, but I still like having the little owl here…)_

_Remus_


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the slightly late update. I didn't forget, I was just hillwalking with my dad and visited a castle and on the way back got stuck in the worst traffic jam of all times. This chapter was written by the lovely Nantai.

29th November 1994

Remus,

Dumbledore knows and has started to recruit people from all over Britain to start training and preparing. War will likely be upon us soon – the Dark Lord will not try taking over peacefully.

That horrid article has been the topic of choice in the staff room for most of the last few days and I’m quite fed up with it. I don’t care whether Potter and his merry band of idiots hate me – I can’t stand them either after all.

Pray to all the deities you know that you never meet Miss Skeeter, sharing a common with her was bad enough for the two years I did. She has no respect for the truth and truly only sees her own gain.

Black shows again his disregard for logic and calm thinking it through. Indeed I think Miss Weasley’s owl is quite known, so it might be best to change your location fast and maybe let Miss Granger know that the danger is too high at the moment – she is by far the most sensible of the lot. (Even though she still insists on knitting for the house elves.)

The first idea was manticores as far as I know. It was changed after Potter got chosen. Dragons might be dangerous but you can outsmart them and Hagrid was sure to show them to Potter or Weasley might have told him if they hadn’t been in a snitch.

It works much like a Vanishing Cabinet, but nothing living will survive it. Especially animals don’t survive the journey. Plants sometimes do. Although I haven’t found a proper pattern to that yet. Roses survive just fine, as does foxglove but not daffodils. I think after so many months of correspondence people would get suspicious if they didn’t see one of my owls flying away rather regularly. They usually find me at my quarters and not during breakfast, but their coming and going is certainly being noticed by people.

Do you know whether Potter and his gang are brewing Polyjuice Potion again? Somebody’s been raiding my storeroom and I doubt that it’s one of my NEWT students since they all have a permission slip for the apothecary and usually have enough money for the ingredients.

Severus

  



	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers! This chapter was written by Juwe and I hope you'll enjoy it!  
> (I'm not back from excavation, I just had a long weekend)  
> ~Nantai

_ 03rd December 1994 _

_ Severus, _

_ I’d really hoped that the younger generation, those kids I taught last year, would be spared to live through another war. It’s terrifying to imagine our enemy might regain his power entirely. Is there any hint as to why he is getting stronger? From what I heard, he used unicorn blood before to stay alive and he wasn’t even able to take up a corporeal form, using poor Quirrel’s body as a host and then his own manifested memory (which I still find utterly fascinating because I have no idea how that can be achieved).  _

_ I completely forgot you knew the Skeeter-woman during school. How did you manage not to kill her (and make it look like an accident)? _

_ I changed location again. Let’s say it’s comfortable, as long as I don’t venture outside. I couldn’t risk getting caught because my damn friend lost half of his wits in Azkaban - even though I admittedly enjoyed his company. If you don’t talk to actual people for weeks, you will eventually start having conversations with the furniture. As my armchair hasn’t yet developed a consciousness, it’s usually rather one-sided. It was good to have a proper discussion for a change - and a shouting-match in which I might have called Sirius a “dick-headed dumb dog”. Calm thinking was never his strong suit. And he’s freaking lonely as well and not half as good as me at handling isolation. I’ve been the lone wolf for so many years I’ve become quite used to it. He’s more outgoing though, more extroverted. He needs people around him to thrive. I think that’s one of the reasons why Azkaban almost drove him crazy.  _

_ I think it’s fascinating that some plants make it through the box and others don’t. Have you tried tulips and crocuses? If they don’t make it, the issue might be that plants with a bulb just can’t go through? _

_ As far as I am informed - and I am not informed very well, because I needed to move house - neither Harry nor his friends are brewing Polyjuice potion at the moment. Have you checked the twins aren’t selling “change-face chewing-gum” or something similar these days? I have no clue who else might be interested in preparing that potion and to what purpose. _

_ Remus _


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by the amazing nantai :-)

5th December 1994

Remus,

So far I have no insights as to why the Dark Lord is getting so much of his strength back in this relatively short time. My best guess is that someone, a follower or someone easily convinced found him and is using certain potions and spells to give him back his body. I shudder to think of which methods they might use, as it is delving so deep into the darkest magic that I’m not even comfortable writing about it. It is on par with how he managed to manifest his memory and the headmaster and I have formulated certain theories on how that might be achieved. To say you wouldn’t even find the books on that in Knockturn Alley shall illustrate on how detestable the magic likely is.

Mainly I was too young to try to harm her and Miss Skeeter had too thorough blackmail on anyone I might have asked, and on me once I had gotten older. Now Dumbledore insists on protecting the free speech of the press and I wonder whether he realises that such free speech might be protected from institutions and governments but I’m very much a private person. (Minerva agrees, which in and off itself is already surprising.)

At this point in the school year I would much prefer the company of a non-sentient armchair to that of many of my colleagues and nearly all of the students. The idea of that god-forsaken Yule Ball has set them all aflutter and there is so much teenage drama in the air that you can near about bottle it. Even my normally wonderfully cool-headed and poised Slytherins are in a frenzy and if I have one more student come to me asking for the recipe of an easy love-potion I’m going to ask the headmaster to ban love-potions all together. (Which of course would be an excellent idea anyway, because most love-potions are little more than glorified instruments of rape and abuse. Now to explain that to the Ministry…)

Points for the alliteration of “dick-headed dumb dog”, I will remember it fondly. In my opinion Black had a weak grasp on sanity long before Azkaban, his mother certainly did a number on him as did the inbreeding, and his need to be around people surely only counts for people who validate him and praise him for his prowess. Because if that wasn’t the case he could rather easily adapt to living as a muggle and hide in plain sight. It’s a good way to escape government scrutiny.

I have tried many other plants and while primitive plants have a better chance of surviving so do ridiculously overbred orchids. (Before you ask, my friend and I experimented a lot when he first came up with the box.)

The twins are much more focussed on betting and school skipping sweets these days. I’m actually rather intrigued by their business venture and I do hope they continue to expand. Their combined talent and knowledge is admirable and their cunning and ambition really should have placed them in Slytherin. But alas they were raised by Molly Weasley to be good, if sly, Gryffindor boys. But if I find whoever is raiding my stores I will personally sic Peeves on them.

Severus


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! I hope you have a fantastic monday (how can anyone have a fantastic monday... I have no idea, but perhaps you do!)  
> Here's Remus' reply... and he has a new pet.

_ 10th December 1994 _

_ Dear Severus, _

_ I had not heard about the Yule Ball yet. So Dumbledore is going in for the full traditional Triwizard year? That will mean lots of hormones welling up and students not focussing on anything but their mating rituals. I don’t envy you. Care to fold yourself into the book-box and come over? Bring a chess game? _

_ By the way, I never asked, but I am curious now: Who is the friend of yours that made the box? It looks quite ingenious to me and I believe only a very capable wizard would have been able to make it work. _

_ Believe me I did not praise Sirius for anything when he was here. On the contrary. He took it quite well though. But I believe he just never grew up and never will. He has a tendency to always feel ill-used by everybody which might be a side-effect of the long-term exposure to the Dementors at Azkaban. It gets tiring to try to keep him out of the black mood he regularly slides into. I was actually happy when he set off again.  _

_ I think we haven’t heard the last from George and Fred Weasley. They are extraordinarily talented even though they use their talents in an - unconventional - way. I sometimes wished I didn’t have to give them detention for certain things they did but could have given them house-points instead. Some of their potions and spells are quite advanced for their age. Ah, Peeves. Yeah, he’s going to have a blast at giving your thieves’ hell. Also, iIf it’s the Weasleys behind the thefts, you can bet he already knows. He follows them around a lot. I think he sees them as kindred spirits. It’s just a matter of getting the information out of him, but you’ve been in Hogwarts long enough to have your ways, I guess. _

_ I have acquired a new pet. It’s a rat. It woke me up a few nights ago and was making a ruckus in the storage chamber. You wouldn’t believe one rodent could produce quite so much noise. I was thinking about throwing him out or killing him, but the solitary life has made me soft and now he’s sitting next to me on the table chewing on a piece of chocolate and sniffing about with his little nose. He looks nothing like Peter, which definitely saved his life, because I could not share my house with a Pettigrew-lookalike. He’s sand-coloured and has very soft fur. _

_ There are some strange flowers growing in a small greenhouse nearby. I have never seen them before, but I assume you might have a better grasp on herbology than I do. I have pressed a few specimen and will send them with this letter. I will also try to put some green ones into the book box. _

_ Remus _


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers, I'm back from excavation! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and tell us in your reviews :)
> 
> Nantai

13th December 1994

Dear Remus, 

If I felt that I could slip away from my duty as a chaperone at the ball I would nearly be inclined to apparate to yours and bring a chess game. (Did you forget what I said about living things and the book box? It is unreliable at best.) See how much isolation has dulled your wits.

I doubt that the name would mean anything to you, but my friend is a graduate of Koldovstoretz and has proved an ingenious spell craftsman more than once. This was his mastery work when he obtained his mastery in charms. 

Dementors can have a debilitating effect on the mind, even long after the exposure stopped. I do hope that Black comes to grow up over time, now that he technically has time to do so. 

I talked to the Bloody Baron who in turn talked to Peeves and the old poltergeist insists that he hasn’t seen anyone. I do still doubt whether I truly believe him, but then he really is terrified of the Bloody Baron. 

In regards to the Weasley twins, I actually agree with you. They have the eye for detail and the feeling for the magic that marks a great potioneer (especially Fred) and at the same time, they show an amount of creativity that is usually most useful to the Transfiguration master. I have overheard some hushed talks about opening a joke shop once they graduate and I do hope they reevaluate their life choices. It would be quite the loss if they insisted on only using their talents to create jokes. Imagine what they could do to improve medical potions for example!

I don’t even know what to say about your pet-rat. A RAT?! Do you know how many illnesses they can have and transfer to humans?! It is thought that it was rats who brought the Black Death over Europe! And sharing chocolate with it? On your table? That doesn’t sound very healthy! You should at least show her to a muggle vet before letting her near your food! (Also...which royal did you name her after this time? Victoria?)

I received the flowers, both those in your letter and the ones in the box. I showed them to Pomona this morning and she got quite excited, apparently, it’s a ‘White Baneberry’, a plant usually found in the forests of North America. She was asking whether the greenhouse where you found it had other plants too and whether she could have samples of all of them. I think she would like plants with their roots intact and the way she was eyeing Karkaroff while speaking makes me want to grab that book about poisonous plants in America they recently had at Borgin and Burkes. 

Now I’m off to ensure that nobody in Slytherin will embarrass the school in front of our guests, giving dancing lessons to all of them. (Thankfully Septima Vector offered herself as a dancing partner to me.)

Severus

PS: I just talked to Pomona again and it sounds like the berries of this plant can cause cardiac arrest, so please, get me plants with roots, and don’t try and eat it. Albus would be very upset with me if I got you killed in the quest for poison.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So... how's Remus going to react to dancing Severus? Here's the answer. :-)

__ __ __ __ __ __ _ 17th December 1994 _

_ Severus _

_ I heard about the joke-shop as well but I disagree with you concerning the “waste” of magical ability it would be. I think especially in darker times, people will always need something to have a hearty laugh about, otherwise, they’ll go insane. _

_ You’re being very evasive about this mysterious friend of yours. I might well have heard of him if he’s such a luminary in his field. Also… this is suspicious, Severus. Is it possible that you believe I might not sanction your choice of friends? Unless he’s a known Death Eater, I promise I’ll try to be tolerant. _

_ Concerning George-Albert (the rat, and don’t you dare make fun of my choice of pet names), I can assure you he’s perfectly healthy. I sniffed him. He smells of rat - which gets a little annoying this time of the month because even though the wolfsbane helps with the actual transformation and keeping your wits about you, it doesn’t do prevent your senses from becoming much sharper. At the moment, my housemate is a bit on the olfactory-overwhelming side for me, but otherwise, he’s completely fine.  _

_ I’ll make sure to get the other plant samples for Pomona. I guess I better use protection spells or gloves or both in that greenhouse though, considering the Baneberry’s lovely effects. How did Karkaroff piss Pomona off, by the way? I mean, she isn’t usually prone to indulge in imagining someone’s untimely death. He must have done something. _

_ I almost spit my tea over the letter when I read about you and Septima. Dancing? You? When and how did Severus Snape learn to dance and why didn’t I know it? I have a hard time imagining you waltzing, so I will definitely need photographic evidence! I also have a hard time imagining Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe dancing, but I don’t think I need photographic evidence of that.  _

_ Remus _


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, slightly belated update from me! Enjoy!

26th December 1994

Remus,

That Creevey boy took some pictures and I took measures to get copies of them. I hope you're more amused than I was during the evening. Karkaroff was a bore as always, but luckily his constant attention and paranoia kept even the bravest of my colleagues from asking me to dance. I do not know, nor do I care, who spiked the punch - but certain people should have stopped after one glass. It's a wonder none of the students noticed. Or cared if they noticed.

I concede that people might need the cheering up soon enough, but I still hope the twins use their talent for more than just jokes. It might be my general disappointment in my students ignoring any academic paths, but I’d like to see more people choose to get a Mastery or three after completing their studies. Especially people like the twins who have both the qualification and the possibility seeing as they are purebloods. I had to try and find a potion’s master in the Soviet Union, in Siberia to be precise because no European master would take me as a halfblood with a Muggle name. It’s probably easier now and if I hadn’t so much to do at the school and with the Order I might even take on a student.

He never published and unless you’re a graduate or a friend of a graduate of Koldovstoretz it’s very unlikely that you know him.

You never mentioned that you’re having troubles with your senses even though you’re taking Wolfsbane. And I certainly never noticed during the last year. Is it a general problem or does it bother you only some months?

(I will forever be amused at your choice of pet names, although that might have some roots in my grandmother on my father’s side having been a fan of the royals. No bad word about any royal or you’d get a thorough beating.)

Karkaroff is his usual charming, dismissive self. I believe Pomona was mostly miffed because of a few comments about her plants for the third task. She’s been growing them behind closed doors and Karkaroff, as a judge, was allowed to inspect them even though they’re still very small at this point. He probably said something about her choice of plants or the like and you know how protective Pomona gets about all green, growing creatures. 

Since the samples arrived safely I assume you survived picking them. I sensed no traces of magic, which is of course very considerate of Pomona’s murderous feelings. Did you use gloves?

Septima and I taught the students arguably well. Everyone had to attend, but only a few needed lessons, mostly the few halfbloods who aren’t as well off and the two muggleborn students. I don’t know if you remember Troy? He’s one of the most quiet Slytherins - not a survival strategy, believe me, he doesn’t need that - now a seventh year? He apparently was on his way to become a professional dancer in the muggle world when his Hogwarts letter came. It was a pleasure to watch him dance.

Blessed Yule and Merry Christmas,

Severus 

 


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for lateness. I have several excuses including a meeting with my boss which annoyed me and my first practice with my new band which made me happy again, but I know I should still have found the time to update in between. Enjoy!

_ 28th December 1994 _

_ Severus, _

_ Thank you for sending the photos. I am intrigued - is that Minerva and Albus hopping about in the background of that picture of you and Septima? And you look sour-faced on that one. Perhaps you should have had a second glass of punch… _

_ You are right about the fact that there aren’t enough potion’s masters around these days. The subject definitely doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I have a hard time imagining you tutoring an apprentice for a prolonged amount of time, though. Don’t get me wrong, but your character isn’t exactly suited to enduring other people’s stupidity for more than a few hours in a row. The poor sod would have to be an exceptional talent and have the stoical endurance of an elephant. _

_ I wouldn’t call the heightened sensitivity a “problem” as it doesn’t affect my everyday life. It’s always been like that though, wolfsbane or not. Without the wolfsbane, I had another added bonus-issue next to becoming a furry beast with fangs every couple of weeks, which was much more inconvenient. It bothered me most, when we were still at school, though. Just imagine being the hormonal mess every teenage boy is in at some point and well… extrapolate from there and add to it that wolves usually don’t care about what is decent or socially acceptable. You’ll get the picture. _

_ Oh, I can imagine Pomona getting defensive about her greens. She has a scary side to her sometimes. Karkaroff better watch out she doesn’t put an invisible cactus onto his seat in the Great Hall. _

_ I wouldn’t have believed your family to be fans of the monarchy. It’s hard to imagine. But then, I always find it hard to imagine you have any muggle blood at all.  _

_ Ah, I see you already predicted my curiosity and included a picture of Troy and his partner. That looks very professional indeed. By the way, looking at the third picture - I am totally out of the loop, and it took me several seconds to recognize her, but: How did Hermione Granger end up being Viktor Krum’s date for the Yule Ball??? I have heard a thing or two about Krum and he never struck me as particularly studious even though he is a talented wizard in many disciplines. Yet, thinking how much time Hermione spends in the library, I find it hard to imagine they met anywhere else. It’s an enigma. _

_ Merry Christmas,  _ _  
_ _ Remus _


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers! How is November treating you so far? Juwe and I both caught a bit of a cold but nothing too bad so far. Enjoy the next chapter! :)

31st December 1994

Remus,

I believe no amount of punch would have made Karkaroff more bearable unless we are talking about a more...literal solution of course. Septima insisted that we should at least dance once and that is indeed our esteemed colleague Albus making an absolute fool of himself with Minerva. I'm very proud of my Slytherins - they all behaved exceptionally well and kept their drunken mishaps out of the public eye. Such cannot be said about the Gryffindors.

Miss Granger did indeed meet Mr Krum in the library where Irma wouldn't allow his gaggle of fans to bother him. The poor boy barely had a calm minute outside the hallowed halls Irma reigns over. Of course Karkaroff did nothing to help his star.

But there is an especially interesting rumour going around that Ronald Weasley was extremely jealous about Miss Granger's choice of dance partner, though which party he was jealous of is highly discussed. Apparently it went on to the point where he sulked the whole evening, was very rude to his own dance partner, Padma Patil, and finally insulted Miss Granger in such a manner that she broke out in tears. Of course nothing else could be expected from that boy, loyal as he might be, one shouldn't dare to upset his sensibilities as his show of temper earlier in the semester demonstrated. Teenagers...

If my students weren't such dunderheads who do not believe in safety regulations or following instructions to the word I would have far more patience with them. Plus few show the special something that is needed to truly understand potions. Miss Granger could, if she learned to rely more on her knowledge than on the written word. Miss Lovegood shows promising signs. And I did tutor some students over the years if I thought them likely candidates for a mastery. Bill Weasley was the only one to decline so far.

People should stop believing that the badger is a nice and peaceful animal and the same goes for Pomona. I would not want to get on her bad side.

(That invisible cactus though is a lovely idea, thank you, Remus.)

My grandmother was the only one who did love the royals, my father believed they deserved a kick up the arse for abandoning the small people after the war and my mother usually agreed with him even though she was indifferent.

I hope you'll have a pleasant New Year's Eve,

Severus


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, shame on me, I forgot to update on monday! But here's the next chapter, up and ready for you! Also, we're losing our buffer on this slowly but surely, so we might need to stretch updates to once every two weeks for a while to build it up again.

_ 2nd January 1995 _

_ Severus, _

 

_ I am gutted I missed Albus’ and Minerva’s show. Is that a charleston they’re doing on that photo? _

_ Oh, yeah, the library as a place of peace and quiet away from the throng of fans that must be following the poor boy everywhere makes sense, of course. I used to hide in the library quite often during our Hogwarts years, I should have put two and two together. Still, it’s an interesting combination, Hermione and Mr Krum… _

_ Ron would be jealous. I think it’s still going to take years before he realizes, but he likes her a lot. His atrocious behaviour doesn’t surprise me. The Weasley temper is very strong with this one. _

_ You won’t find Hermione stray away from the books. It’s not going to happen in this life. Miss Lovegood is your best bet, I believe. She can sometimes be a bit lost in her dream-world, but considering the fact that she witnessed her mother’s death, I think one can overlook that. And she can focus if she needs to.  _

_ I didn’t know you offered to tutor Bill. Why did he decline though?  _

_ I hope your New Year’s was more eventful than mine. I spent it in the company of George Albert, a book and a plate of assorted cheeses (yes, we shared, no I didn’t let him have the first bite, I am lonely, not mad). _

_ So, there’s a new year started. I have no idea what it will bring us, honestly. Are there any news as to what the next challenge in the Triwizard Tournament will be? Any updates on your dark mark? Is it still getting darker? _

_ Happy New Year, _

_ Remus _

_ P.S.: If you go through with the invisible cactus plan, please, please, please make sure somebody’s there to take a good moving picture of the scene. It would be a great asset to have this banned on paper for all eternity.  _


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience with us, guys! I was sick yesterday and forgot to update. However, here is the new update and I hope you enjoy it!

5th January 1995

Remus, 

It is indeed Charleston and if you ask them nicely enough I’m sure they are going to demonstrate it for you.

They really are a strange combination, but Miss Granger seems to be rather charmed by him as well at the moment and as long as Mr Krum remembers his age in comparison to hers it should be fine.

Mr Weasley’s temper is both Weasley and puberty and it’s a combination that does not work well at all. I do hope that he reigns in his hormonal behaviour soon, because I simply cannot give him detention where I’ll have to listen to him as well.

Miss Lovegood did what? That’s…that’s the kind of information Albus should give us teachers! For God’s sake! It does indeed explain a lot. And you’re right of course. The moment Miss Granger strays from the books during a potion I shall give Albus my notice and go on a good long holiday somewhere warm.

Bill Weasley declined officially because he was more interested in Charms and Transfiguration, but considering the kind of looks Mrs Weasley gave me for the following months I’m assuming it was familial pressure. The woman never liked me. Probably thought I’d corrupt her poor boy to the Dark Arts. The Dark Lord himself couldn’t corrupt that boy though.

I’m afraid enacting that plan would need too much mental energy on my side unless of course I inspired Peeves to talk to the twins about it. Maybe I could provide them with a fitting cactus.

My New Year’s Eve was spent in the Great Hall as always, which means I do envy you your quiet evening even if it was shared with a rat. You might understand, I’m not a very festive human. Being forced to engage in those things does not make it better. 

The next task is explained in the Golden Egg and if any of the champions grow a brain cell soon they will recognise that it’s Mermish, as it would sound outside the water.

The Mark is still getting darker and Igor is getting very panicky. The Dark Lord won’t be pleased with him if he returns, I do anticipate him fleeing soon. As you know I’m excellent Occlumens and I do feel when someone probes my mind. Someone is using the Mark, it feels like a flickering just in the corner of my eye and it is driving me crazy. (Albus knows, don’t worry.) 

The new year will bring massive changes if Sybil is to be believed. She had a spot of true prophecy two days ago in my hearing. While she doesn’t remember it, it was quite clear to me:

_ Darkness rises from beyond the grave _

_ T _ _ imes gone shall return with it  _

_ When the longest day has passed _

I guess she couldn’t have said it any clearer. Albus was present and quite worried. The Dark Lord is planning something in the summer. Let’s hope that the Triwizard Tournament is over by then.

Severus


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting for Juwe today because she's sick, send some healing vibes guys!! Also, please enjoy the new chapter!

_ 11th January 1995 _

_ Severus, _

_ Once again, we might need to be cautious. Your last owl arrived with quite a bit of delay and it looked ruffled.  _

_ Luna Lovegood - it’s the saddest story anyone ever told me. She told it to me herself. I think she usually tries to avoid thinking about it and she’d never have told me about it. But I happened to witness her reaction to a thestral’s appearance at the edge of the forbidden forest, she went all white and shaky, so I gave her some chocolate and she explained what had happened. I don’t know why Dumbledore keeps information like this under lock and key. I don’t think any staff member other than him knows about the incident. Not even Filius has any idea as far as I know. _

_ Merlin save me from hormone-ridden Weasley boys in detention! Imagine having him around you for two hours straight with nobody else to take the edge off! There’s types of torture which I’d much rather endure (does Mr Filch still keep his assorted shackles at hand in his office?). [Sidenote written in the margins: I just realized when reading over what I had written, that this sounds more than a little ambiguous. This was unintentional.] _

_ You know, Severus, I am not made for huge gatherings of people either, but I enjoy celebrating special occasions with a small group of friends. It’s definitely superior to both my solemn rat-accompanied New Years and your feast. I spent last year with a few people I know via Dumbledore, Kingsley, you might have heard of, works for the Ministry. And he had an intern at that time. Goes by Tonks. I think she’s somehow related to Sirius but don’t ask me how exactly. Young girl, metamorphmagus, laughs a lot and falls over her feet more than any Auror should do. But she made excellent cookies and she made us all laugh so there’s that. She’s also not half as stupid as her clumsiness might make you believe at first. I believe she’s going to become quite a good Auror. _

_ I am a bit worried about the Dark Mark playing up. It doesn’t bode well. Especially in combination with the prophecy. It annoys the hell out of me that I have to sit here and wait for news. If anything is supposed to happen in summer, I have the strong feeling I should be there to take care Harry doesn’t get killed in the process. I mean, he definitely did not put his name into that goblet. Someone else did. Someone who wanted to have him in this tournament. I hope I am wrong about this, but to me, it looks as if it would be very likely that your former employer is planning to have his comeback during the final task. What are Dumbledore’s thoughts on this?  _

_ Remus _


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and good morning! Have a new chapter and enjoy! :)

15th January 1995

Remus,

I have taken precautions to protect Urania from detection, but to be safe I will be sending the more sensitive information via the other means. 

Well, Filius certainly knows now. I’m not usually one to share private information about students with other teachers but seeing the way her housemates treat her I think at least her head of house should know about her mother. I shudder to think what would happen if Filius scolded her with the words ‘what would your mother think of you?’. The girl is very strong in her own way and yet everyone has a breaking point.

I’m delighted to hear that you understand the dread of having a hormonal Weasley in detention. (Although Miss Weasley would likely be bearable.) Filch does indeed still have the shackles and I believe he still regularly polishes them. And I understood your intention of the question and only thought of other interpretations because of your note in the margin. It does seem I will have to send you some more...particular books next time. Or is it the coming full moon?

Spending celebrations with one or two close friends is something that I haven’t experienced since school days I believe. After Lily broke our friendship off I spent the holidays with my, ah, other friends and that was often a big and impersonal crowd. And after the war, I always was at school.

Severus 

**Note arriving in the book box on the morning of the 16th January:**

You had some questions about more sensitive things which I thought best to answer through a safer means of communication than owling.

I agree with you on account of the Dark Mark worrying me. He is certainly rising again and if his plan truly comes to fruition in summer he will certainly try to get at Potter during the last task. Dumbledore does not seem worried, which means he is likely covering his worry which in turn is worrying to me. I understand that you feel that you should be there for Potter. But Potter has many protectors. Moody is keeping an eye on nearly all the tasks so far and he won’t let any harm come to the Boy-Who-Lived. Albus still is a major enemy for the Dark Lord, especially if he still is in a weakened state as we are assuming.

There is talk of reinstating the Order proper and starting again with the spying and the patrols. I will have to return to the Dark Lord’s side once he rises again. I am loath to think of that.


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being incredibly disorganized with this week's update. Also: As I am disorganized as hell at the moment, we are sort of running out of chapters, so I will see to it that we don't and write something RIGHT NOW, but if nonetheless we should end up having to delay some of the future posts, bear with us, because we have great things in store for you!

_ 18th January _

_ Severus, _

 

_ The full moon plays into it, but I guess it’s mostly the fact that I have a rat as my sole companion and it’s been ages since I spoke to an actual person. I wouldn’t bother you with the particulars but it gets… difficult from time to time. Let’s keep it at that.  _

_ The days around the transformation were very unpleasant this time. Is it possible to develop a resistance against wolfsbane? Or does the stuff not work as well when it was stored for a longer time than if it is fresh? I am sorry, I probably should know these things, but neither herbology nor potions has ever been my strong suit. _

_ The other friends who you sometimes refer to… who were they? I am curious. And I am not going to judge. I knew you had a difficult time back then. _

_ I am not sure if Ginevra would be any easier to bear for you than her brother. She has a fondness for Harry that borders on infatuation and you’d probably find her scribbling “Ginny Potter” in the margins of her detention papers. Taking under consideration that you don’t like Harry much, I guess you’d get quite annoyed. _

_ Remus _

**_Nore arriving in the book box on the 18th January, two days before the letter._ **

_ Concerning Mad Eye, I don’t fully trust that man, so I’d appreciate if you’d also keep two good eyes on the goings on. It’s weird that I trust you, knowing full well you once were on the Death Eater’s side, but I have known you long enough now to feel you’re quite safe from succumbing to temptation ever again. Whereas Moody… he might be an auror, but he’s definitely strange and I sometimes wonder if he’s still in his right mind. _

_ Reinstating the order sounds like the best thing I have heard in years. I know the occasion is grim and I should be concerned rather than elated that Dumbledore deems it necessary to reconvene with the old members - and hopefully recruit some new ones, considering that we’re missing the Longbottoms, James, Lily and a few others. I understand your reluctance to resume your previous position but you happen to be the only man we have in our ranks who can do this. I wish we didn’t live in times like these. _


End file.
